TRUMP RETRIBUTION CONTINUES: JOURNALIST DON LEMON ARRESTED
And so Donald Trump retribution campaign continues.
The victim this time: former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who has been the target of Trump animosity for nearly a decade. The significance: Trump is not de-escalating but moving the polarizing thermometer higher by arresting a high-profile journalist and another journalist from Minneapolis.
Many commentators and legal experts are calling the charges trumped up and don’t expect the government will get a conviction. The charges were rejected by a magistrate, a Republican judge and prosecutors in Los Angeles and Minnesota. Then Trump did a post on Truth Social angrily saying Lemon should be arrested under a different provision of the law. And…voila…Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles. Many believe the intent is to at the least intimidate journalists who are doing work that may be critical of Trump or his administration.
The former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three other people have been arrested on charges that they violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., this month, lawyers and Justice Department officials said on Friday, reviving a case that was rejected last week by a magistrate judge.
The arrests of Mr. Lemon, a second journalist and two protesters came a little more than a week after three other demonstrators who took part in the action at the Cities Church on Jan. 18 were taken into custody. The prosecution is likely to face pushback from defense lawyers on First Amendment grounds, given that political protest sits at the center of the charges and that Mr. Lemon and the other journalist, Georgia Fort, have said they entered the church to cover a demonstration against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the area.
The protesters interrupted a service at the church, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor, and chanted “ICE out.” Afterward, the Justice Department drafted a criminal complaint to charge a total of eight people, including Mr. Lemon, over of the episode, citing a law that protects people seeking to participate in a service in a house of worship.
But the federal magistrate judge who reviewed the evidence approved charges against only three of the people — Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Allen and William Kelly. He refused to sign arrest warrants for Mr. Lemon and the others, citing insufficient evidence. The Justice Department then petitioned a federal appeals court to force the chief judge in Federal District Court in Minneapolis to issue the additional warrants, only to be denied.
In a social media post on Friday morning, James Blair, a deputy White House chief of staff, said that a federal grand jury had indicted Mr. Lemon. Ms. Fort said in a video posted online that she, too, had been indicted.
It remained unclear how the other two defendants — Trahern Jeen Crews, an activist who was a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, and Jamael Lydell Lundy — were charged. It was also unclear whether prosecutors were planning to bring charges against the eighth person who appeared in the original complaint.
Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Mr. Lemon, vowed to fight the charges.
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards,” Mr. Lowell said in a statement on Friday morning. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”
Mr. Lowell added, “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
The Trump administration has pursued two criminal charges against the church protesters and Mr. Lemon — conspiring to deprive rights and interfering with someone’s religious freedom in a house of worship.
All this comes against the backdrop of Trump’s nose-diving poll numbers which Political Wire’s Taegan Goodard says paints Trump as a “stunningly unpopular president.”
Taken together, the data paints a clear picture. This is not a presidency struggling with a messaging problem or a temporary dip. It’s a presidency confronting widespread, durable rejection — across gender, race, age, and education.
In hindsight, it remains astonishing that Trump managed to win re-election at all. But it’s clear buyer’s remorse has arrived early — and in force.
From CNN’s Brian Selter’s Reliable Sources newsletter:
The burden of proof, as always, is on the government. But the White House is already using the arrest to publicly smear Lemon. Recognizing that many MAGA loyalists wanted to see Lemon jailed, the White House’s X account posted a meme celebrating the news this morning. The image showed Lemon holding up his microphone as he reported on the protest in real time. “DON LEMON ARRESTED,” the image said, “for involvement in the St. Paul church riots.”
Let’s be clear: The DOJ has been under intense pressure from the right, from Lemon’s ideological opponents, to arrest him. Lemon has been a longtime Trump antagonist, and Trump has criticized him as recently as last week. So this sure looks like another example of Trump’s retribution campaign. Slate’s Jill Filipovic called it a “five-alarm fire moment” in a column just now. CNN’s Sara Sidner called it “terrifying” during our live breaking news coverage.
And David Axelrod remarked this morning that the DOJ is now the “Department of Retribution,” adding, “If you don’t believe Don Lemon’s arrest was ordered from on high, you just haven’t been paying attention.”
And this:
Constitutional law professor Corey Brettschneider said yes on CNN International this morning. No one disputes that the churchgoers had a First Amendment right to worship freely. But Brettschneider said he expects Lemon will prevail because Lemon “was not trying to shut down anyone’s civil rights or religious freedom, he was trying to give the public… information about what’s happening.”
I want to highlight one more statement, this one from Gabe Rottman, VP of policy for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “To our knowledge,” he says, “it’s unprecedented for the Justice Department to deploy the federal laws it has previously cited in this case against journalistic activity.”
“Historically, the limited number of cases that have been brought against a journalist documenting a protest on private property have been handled as trespass cases at the state level,” Rottman adds. “Those charges are almost always dropped, or if the cases go to trial, the journalists typically prevail.”
But for the time being, the White House has the meme it wanted.
Predictions: 1. Lemon will not be found guilty. 2. Journalists will not be cowed but will step up their efforts. 3. Don Lemon will get a h-u-g-e career boost.
(Footnote: During the “golden age of blogging” I was on Don Lemon’s show about 8 times as an independent centrist blogger on his panel. The last time I was on he had me on alone. CNN then had bloggers on to react to events).
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) January 30, 2026
Don Lemon's arrest shows again that the overriding goal of Trump II is to consolidate power & crush resistance to imposition of the MAGA agenda-not only by exerting control over fed gov't & subduing blue states/cities but also all civil society institutions that might push back https://t.co/qfNnBEr27d
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) January 30, 2026
This just in from Amnesty International: "U.S. authorities must immediately release journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. Journalism is not a crime. Reporting on protests is not a crime. Arresting journalists for their reporting is a clear example of an authoritarian practice."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 30, 2026
Donald Trump's administration is killing innocent people, arresting journalists, and destroying America's moral authority.
California will not roll over to this wrecking-ball presidency.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 30, 2026
I spent years as a civil rights attorney defending the Constitution. The First Amendment is clear: the government cannot arrest journalists for doing their job.
What happened to Don Lemon should concern every American who believes in free speech. When Trump’s rogue… pic.twitter.com/WOS4ACjtuc
— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) January 30, 2026
"We're not with the activists we're just reporting on them."
This is from Don Lemon's reporting at the St. Paul church. Arresting journalists for simply highlighting what's happening in this country is a gross violation of our First Amendment rights.
He must be released… pic.twitter.com/4I3sKYtuw4
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) January 30, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom on the arrest of Don Lemon:
“Putin would be proud.”
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 30, 2026
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort underscore the gravity of this moment. This has never happened before in our history. We shouldn't pretend it's normal.
More reason for us to hold the line and demand a DHS budget that stops funding lawlessness. pic.twitter.com/XsMWUc8lTu
— Chris Murphy ? (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 30, 2026
There’s a reason why they’re resigning https://t.co/Mndcp2q515
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) January 30, 2026
The case will get tossed. Everyone knows that. The punishment is the process. Harass journalists, scare the press, and suppress criticism, exactly how Trump operates with his endless frivolous suits against media organizations.
Banana Republic https://t.co/njFVuVqaSi
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 30, 2026
Don Lemon, before his arrest:
“I’m just here photographing. I’m a journalist. We’re here just chronicling and reporting.” pic.twitter.com/hdfhW17sL3
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 30, 2026
Arresting journalists. Seizing ballots. Murdering protesters. Detaining children. It’s time to decide what your red line is.
— Maya May (@mayaonstage) January 30, 2026
This is how authoritarians screw up: They try to make an example of someone. Instead they make a martyr.
Don Lemon & Georgia Fort are now symbols of the First Amendment fight.
— Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) January 30, 2026
As the Department of Homeland Security lurches from one crisis to the next, it has now zeroed in on Don Lemon. As with other aspects of its performance in Minneapolis, DHS has overreacted in arresting a journalist. Free Don Lemon.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) January 30, 2026
Wow, we now learn that the Don Lemon charges were:
* Rejected by a magistrate
* Rejected by a chief judge who was a hard-right Republican
* Refused by career prosecutors in Minnesota AND Los AngelesAnd they still try to pursue the case as publicly as possible for intimidation! https://t.co/XSME3HhGcg
— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) January 30, 2026
The fact the WH press shop wants to focus on this Don Lemon arrest shows you how much they want (or need to create) any shiny metal object to distract from this disastrous month and week Trump has had.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) January 30, 2026
There's no one left at the DOJ to say no to him.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 30, 2026
Source familiar with Don Lemon's arrest tells me DOJ went to a grand jury to secure an indictment (DOJ's effort to get a criminal complaint had already been rejected in court twice).
— . (@GregTSargent) January 30, 2026
BREAKING: A new video is released by Georgia Fort of the moment when Trump's agents showed up at her door to arrest her.
Fort is an independent Twin Cities journalist. She was arrested filming and reporting on a protest at a St. Paul church.
Fort had already been arrested once… pic.twitter.com/8JWTo41Yf8
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 30, 2026
At what point do journalists start referring to the Trump administration as the Trump regime, because I’m at that point
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) January 30, 2026
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 30, 2026
You can arrest Don Lemon but the same thing that happened with Jimmy Kimmel is going to happen, you’re just going to make him more popular.
— Karly Kingsley (@karlykingsley) January 30, 2026
Arresting a journalist is a blatant attempt to intimidate and a further indicator of Trump’s authoritarianism. It goes against the most fundamental American values outlined in the First Amendment.
Don Lemon has been on the ground in Minnesota like hundreds of others doing the…
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 30, 2026
Are you F-ing KIDDING ME?! @Donlemonbsky has been arrested by the DOJ?! Exercising your first amendment constitutionally “protected” right gets you locked up, exercising your 2nd gets you killed, and actual murder… well in uniform, gets you nothing!
This IS NOT NORMAL nor OK!
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) January 30, 2026
As my dear friend Don Lemon knows, journalism is one of the most dangerous jobs on earth. Don is boots on the ground, bearing witness, asking hard questions, and risking his safety to hold our government accountable. That is courage. That is journalism.
Don was arrested despite… pic.twitter.com/ohjuZgHgEU
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) January 30, 2026
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